—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 23. 1974
34
Personalized Crafts For Holiday Giving
by Sally Bair
Farm Feature Writer
With the Thanksgiving holiday just around the comer,
the Christmas season can’t be far behind. If you’re
planning to make some of your decorations and gifts, now
is the time to begin - before the cookie making and
shopping gets underway.
At the recent Homemakers Christmas program, Farm
Women Society 22 offered several items custom-tailored
for Christmas for sale at their bazaar table. Directions for
some of them follow.
With just a touch of creativity and a little time, a
square tissue box can be transformed into an at
tractive birdhouse which will dress up your home for
the holidays or make a useful gift for a friend.
Tissue boxes are something which seem to be found in
nearly every room of every home these days, so why not
dress them up to make them more attractive for the
holiday season? This “birdhouse” tissue box makes a
thoughtful gift for friends and neighbors who seem to
“have everything.”
The only thing you need to make is the roof which covers
a square tissue box. The pieces of styrofoam needed for
the roof itself should measure 6 inches x 4V* inches; 6
inches x 4% inches; and the triangle to fit into the point of
the roof will measure 4Vz x 3 x 3 mches. Mrs. Naomi
Wenger, who taught the Farm Women how to construct
the houses, says that she usually buys ’inch insulation to
use for the roof, because it is less expensive than
styrofoam. The first step is to edge the roof pieces
together and glue with white glue.
Sjy
ft**?
Materials needed to make the tissue box birdhouse
include the roof pasted together from styrofoam or
insulation material, hat pins, napkins, twigs, pallettes,
Mod Pdge of Napcoupage, glitter, brush and artificial
decorations.
*
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Now, to decorate the roof, select a napkin with holly
leaves, carolers or some appropriate holiday decoration.
Separate the layers of napkin until you have just a sin
gle laver with the decoration on. Cut around the
decoration to make it fit the roof.
This napkin is then adhered to the roof by using Mod-
Podge or Napcoupage. First, one coat of the finish is
brushed on the roof, then the napkin design is laid in place
and smoothed out. Mrs. Wenger says there will be bumps
in the design but when it is finished and dry they disap
pear. Now the design is covered with another layer of the
finish brushed on evenly. White glitter is shaken over the
vhole area while still wet. If there is a small matching
>wer or design on the napkin it can be put on one end of
roof, using the same method. Now it simply needs to
iFor added interest metallic braid or rickrack may be
Ided to the edges of the birdhouse. On the front side of
roof (the side from which the tissue box will open) a
tall bright pallette is added with a pin, and a small dry
Ig should be placed under that - for the bird to have a
:stmg place. On the top some type of artificial decoration
bird, flower or leaf - should be added by pinning in
ice.
The roof is attached to the tissue box by means of four
ig hat pins stuck through the styrofoam and pushed into
folds of the box itself.
These boxes can be decorated any color, for any season
or decor. For Mother’s Day, Easter or Thanksgiving, just
change the kind of trim and decoration used.
Another attractive item which can be used either to add
cheer to your home or as a gift for friends is a styrofoam
Mr. and Mrs. Holly.
The ones made by Society 22 are fashioned from 4 inch
styrofoam balls, but the size could vary according to the
ultimate use. To make these friendly creatures, you will
need balls which will be cut in half, red, green and black
felt, fringe balls in red, chenille “bumps,” sequins,
regular dressmaker pins, red and green ribbon and white
craft glue.
The teacher of this project, Mrs. Cora Frymyer,
provided patterns to cut out the holly leaves for Mr. Holly
and the bonnet for Mrs. Holly, but these patterns can
easily be made and fit to the size ball you wish to use. A
little inventiveness will turn out dolls as attractive as the
ones pictured.
To make Mr. Holly, you need to cut a large, double holly
leaf from green felt. This will drape over the ball and form
the base of his holly “hat.” Three smaller leaves are
added on top of the base, and these are kept in place with a
small dab of glue. Three fringe balls are added to the top,
also glued m place, or a pin can be used to add strength.
For his ear muffs, the chenille “bumps” are cut apart and
pushed m place over his ears. These can be glued and
pinned in place if they are reluctant to stay put.
The eyes are made from a sequin, kept in place with a
straight pm. Add a happy smile, eyebrows and a small
bow at the neck, and Mr. Holly is ready to greet visitors to
your home. A small pipe cleaner can be added on the back
if you plan to hang it.
His companion, Mrs. Holly, also is made from half a
styrofoam ball. She needs some black felt cut m a fringe
effect for bangs to be seen under the rim of her bonnet.
This is glued in place first, then a red bonnet is added with
three small holly leaves on top and a few fringe balls. She
also needs some fringed black felt for eyebrows to help
make her feminine. Her eyes are made from sequins, and
she gets a heart shaped mouth from red felt. Blusher can
be added to her cheeks. Tie her a pretty bow of long,
streaming ribbons and your Mr. and Mrs. Holly will add a
lovely touch to your wall, mantel or table for the holidays.
Mr. and Mrs. Holly will add a bright touch to your
home for the holidays.
Another idea which you might want to consider is
making a burlap yardstick and scissors holder - a really
thoughtful gift for a home sewer. The burlap strip is made
double for extra support and stitched together, with the
edges fringed. A second single strip, hemmed at the top, is
stitched on top of the first to make a place to insert the
folding yardstick or ruler. Curtain rings are sewn on the
top of the hanger and a pair of scissors can be inserted
there. Ball fringe, felt leaves and other decorations can be
used as desired to make an attractive, useful gift which
takes little time and money.
Any of these items can help make the holiday season
bright at your home - but get an early start so you can
complete them at leisure.
Members of Farm Women Society 22 use Holly to
dress up the styrofoam dolls.